As a general rule of thumb, in order to keep you birds satisfied your chicken coop must meet the following requirements:

• Your chicken coop must be predator proof from ALL sides. You will want to use a 15mm square wire mesh to cover the openings of your coop and keep the predators out and your chickens safe.

• It is not enough to just cover the coop with wire meshing, you should fence in the surrounding area with wire meshing as well. Also, be sure that you bury the wire mesh at least 7 inches below the ground level. This will help keep foxes and rats from burrowing their way through the fence.

• Chickens do not like breezes or wind, so although you need your coop to be well-ventilated, be sure not to put it somewhere out in the open where it will face winds. Chickens don’t mind the cold, but wind can be known to cause respiratory diseases in chickens.

• Before you design or build your chicken coop, make sure you consider how you’ll be cleaning it. You will want your coop to be as easy to clean as possible for you, to keep your work load to a minimum.

• Be sure to provide enough space for your birds so that they do not crowd each other. This can cause stress in the birds, and a stressed out chicken is an unhealthy chicken. Also, be sure to provide them with roosting poles since this is where they like to sleep.

• You should place one nesting box for every four or five birds into a dark corner. This will encourage them to begin laying eggs. When placing nest boxes within your coop, make sure that you keep them a little bit of the floor but also lower than the roosting poles that are inside.

• Leave your birds room to roam while in their coop. The more happy and stress-free your birds are, the better quality of eggs they will produce. As a general rule of thumb, make sure that there is at least four square feet of space per chicken.

• Of course you will need a waterier and feeder within your chicken coop.

• Using a plastic tray under the roosting poles can be a simple solution for cleaning up your chickens waste.

Remember, a happy chicken is a healthy chicken, and in the end will yield you better results.

So treat your chickens right with the proper chicken coop.

Essentially, there are a few factors which are more important than other and as such, you need to pay careful attention to them. Hopefully, those points which are mentioned in this article will help you to set out on the right foot so that you’ll end up having a coop which is ideal for your needs.

Coop Size

Size is perhaps the most important thing to take into consideration before you start building a coop and one should bear in mind that plans are available for small, medium and large coops, each capable of housing a specific number of birds.

Unfortunately, it seems that the most common mistake people make, is that they try to house too many chickens in their coop. Remember, each chicken should ideally be provided with enough space to feel content and comfortable, particularly if you want your chickens to lay a decent amount of eggs.

A good rule of thumb to follow is that it’s better for a coop to be too large rather than too small, not to mention the fact that if the coop ends up being too big, you can simply add a few more chickens.

Portable Coop or Fixed Coop

Once you’ve determined what size of coop you require, you then need to ask yourself whether you intend keeping the coop in one area or if you would rather have one which is portable. Of course, portable chicken coops do have certain advantages in that the can be moved around anytime you choose. For that reason, the are extremely well suited for those who want to keep chickens as pets.

Additionally, portable chicken coops also allow for easy maintenance because you can move them to a specific area for cleaning purposes.

Having said all that; if you would like something a little more permanent, then you should of course consider going for a fixed coop. Bear in mind that fixed coops are usually noticeably stronger than portable ones and as such, they tend to last for ages.

Level of Protection

If you’re going to keep chickens then you need to acknowledge the fact that predators are a very real threat, hence the need for suitable protection. Ideally, your fencing should be able to keep all forms of predators out and of course, this is something you need to factor in when you build the coop.

Appearance and/or Style

Of course it goes without saying that most people want the overall appearance of the coop to blend in with the immediate surroundings and there are many things you can do in order to ensure it does. However, because this can have a heavy impact on building costs, it’s an area you have to pay considerable attention to in order to stay within your budget.

There are a vast number of ways to build an economical chicken coop so it’s always advisable that you make a point of understanding your options before you start out.

Providing you pay some attention to those points which have been mentioned before you start building a chicken coop, you could very well end up saving a small fortune in the end.

Strangely enough, many people tend to believe that in order to build a chicken coop; they’ll require plenty of expensive building materials but this couldn’t be further from the truth because you can make a chicken coop from various materials. You can make one from old 50 gallons drums, an old garden shed, old bits of timber, or even from PVC pipes.

In most cases timber is the most commonly used material although it’s also probably the most expensive, which means you’ll need to decide for yourself whether or not it’s the best choice. However, if you intend building a chicken coop capable of lasting many years, then it may be worthwhile for you to consider investing your money in a good quality wooden coop.

Of course if you decide to go with a wooden chicken coop then it’s important to bear in mind that different varieties of wood vary in price, hence the importance of considering the different varieties of timber available.

If you only intend building a small chicken coop then you could even consider using some recycled timber. You could also simply ask around for old bits of scrap timber but be prepared, because you may find yourself having to remove many nails before the timber can be used. Also, because you’ll be using different types of wood, different sections of the chicken coop may not match up in the end. However, if your primary concern is to use the most cost effective method there is, then you may want to consider this option.

Believe it or not; if you’re willing to shop around when it comes to purchasing the building materials, you can end up saving yourself about half of what you would have paid had you purchased the materials from the very first store you went into.

The bottom line is; it’s imperative that you give careful consideration to what’s been mentioned in this article before you go out and begin purchasing the materials you need.

Furthermore, it’s essential for you to have a thorough understanding before you commence with the building. It’s relatively easy to start getting confused once you start building and you may very well experience some difficulty. For this reason, you should always try to make sense of it all before you start.

Landscape Preparation

First of all, before even beginning to build your chicken coop, you need to make sure the land under it is level and landscaped. There are a couple of ways you can tackle this. You can look around your property for the ideal location to place your chicken coop and then clear the land and level it, or you can take the easier route and find a spot on your land that is already level and fairly well cleared out so you can start building your coop without a lot of preparatory effort.

Not only will choosing land that is already flat and cleared save you a whole lot of work, it will also save you money. Of course, the choice is up to you depending upon where you prefer to have your chicken coop situated.

It is worth the effort to level and clear the land because it will help your chicken coop last for a long time if it is built upon a solid foundation.

Spend What You Need To Build A Solid Base

Don’t pinch pennies when it comes to building the structural base of your chicken coop. Using cheap materials here could haunt you later. You don’t have to buy the most expensive but don’t choose materials based on price alone. Seek out cost effective supplies that will be durable and long lasting.

Include Windows In Your Chicken Coop Design

Windows are very important to your chickens. Be sure to include them in your chicken coop design. Chickens need light so they will lay their eggs like they are supposed to. If they don’t get enough light you might run into health problems with your chickens and they might not lay any eggs. You can avoid all those problems by adding windows to your coop design so your chickens will be happy. Adding windows can also reduce the cost of building your chicken coop which is an added bonus.

Be careful where you place your windows. If you put them in the wrong area of your walls you can make them weak which makes the entire structure less sturdy. Proper chicken coop building plans are very useful at times like these when you are building your coop.

Position The Chicken Feeders Wisely

Choose the position of your feeders after giving it some thought. You do not want to place them too high because the chickens won’t be able to reach their food. If you place them too low, the chickens will make a mess and scatter the food around which is a waste of money.

Not only is scattered food a waste of money, the chickens will start scratching the scattered food and pecking at it which will damage your chicken house given enough time.

It is worth the extra time spent planning your chicken coop design and building it to be sturdy and durable. That way you won’t be constantly fixing up problems that arise and making repairs that wouldn’t be necessary if you had built the coop properly to start with.

All of these are vital so that you’re fully satisfied with the chicken house you build and don’t spend any more money than you absolutely have to.

Now it’s time to move on and take a look at what you must do in order to keep your chickens protected. Again this is a key element that must be taken care of if you want to keep your chickens for the long term because without protection, there is a very high chance that at some point or another, a predator is going to come around.

First you need to assess what potential predators you have in your area. This would include animals such as coyotes, foxes, larger dogs, or rodents that may try and dig underneath the fence and get into the coop in that manner.

If you have no idea what types of predators are present in your surrounding area, you may want to consult with your neighbors and check and see if they’ve ever encountered a predator. This will give you a more precise idea of exactly what you’re dealing with so you can take proper precautionary measures.

Location

It’s important that you also identify the best location to place your coop. As we’ve already discussed location is partially going to be determined by land forms already, but having the coop within a close distance (eye’s range is even better) will help you keep a closer eye on your chickens and ensure they are safe.

This is where having a mobile chicken coop comes in really handy since you can easily transport it to wherever you are going to be to really keep a watchful eye on them.

Type of Fence

It’s also vital that you factor in the type of fence that would be best to build with your chicken coop. Consider the type of predator you’re looking at and then research the different types of fences that are available to choose the best fit.

As mentioned above, if you’re going to encounter digging animals, it will be most important that you build the house low enough into the ground that it’s difficult for them to burrow underneath it.

If you are looking at the possibility of larger predatory animals, then you’re going to need a fence that’s incredibly sturdy in order to keep them out effectively. This is why having a good guide to follow will help – it’s vital that you pair your needs with the variety of fence. If you don’t, you may think you’re protecting your chickens, but you really haven’t done much but added a bit of decoration to your chicken coop.

So be sure you’re keeping fencing and protection in mind. You could build the most perfect chicken coop ever, but if another animal decides to venture in, that perfect chicken coop could be no more.

Look forward to learning more information about understanding exactly where to position your chicken coop in the next newsletter.

Before you set up your chicken coop, you’ll want to make sure to consider things carefully. Choosing the right spot in your yard is essential to the success of your chicken coop. Plus, a backyard chicken coop is a long term investment. This is why it makes sense to do things the right way from the beginning, so that you will be satisfied with it for years to come.

You should consider the following factors:

Protection

This first thing you will want to think about is protecting your chickens from predators that can decimate their population. The best way to do this is to locate the chicken coop as close to your living quarters as possible. This way you will be able to keep an eye out for trouble.

Another thing to remember is that if you have big farm, certain areas may routinely harbor animals that could threaten your coop. Be sure to keep the coop far away from these areas. The more distance you place between your chickens and potential predators, the better.

Climate

Something else to think about when it comes to positioning your chicken coop is the climate. Do you live in an area where it rains a lot? Or perhaps you live somewhere where it is hot all of the time? If so, you should consider placing your chicken coop in an area where it is sheltered near some trees. This will keep the coop near the shade, as well as minimize the rain that hits the coop.

If your area tends to get a lot of rain, you should also make sure to construct the coop away from areas where water tends to pool. Otherwise, you may be dealing with a flooded chicken coop.

If you live in a windy area, then you should build the coop near a grouping of trees or buildings that will bear the brunt of the wind. Of course, the coop should be well ventilated, but avoid placing it where it will be subjected to a constant onslaught of strong winds.

Sunlight

Lastly, because chickens need regular exposure to natural sunlight in order to maximize their output of eggs, you should place your chicken coop near an area that receives a good amount of natural light from the sun. This will also help you avoid the expense and hassle of having to run an electrical light in the chicken coop.

So, keep these considerations in mind as you think about precisely where you’ll put your chicken coop. Planning properly ahead of time will ensure that you’ll be pleased with your coop in the long run, and will increase the number of fresh eggs you can collect from your chickens.

There are a number of different accessories you can add to your chicken coop, and the decision of which you will add will be a personal preference. It’s important to get the basics covered however since they will be vital for your coop’s health.

Here are some of the main ones to consider.

Feeders

Choosing a good chicken feeder to include in your chicken coop will give them easy access to food to ensure they’re eating properly. This will be important for their overall growth and egg development, so make sure you’re building a good quality feeder.

Also look at the specific height you place the feeder in the house as this too can influence how comfortably their able to get at their food.

Nesting Boxes

You can get chicken nesting boxes in a variety of different shapes and sizes and can build them out of many common materials you have around the house such as a large plastic pale or an old wooden box.

You should use one nesting box for 2-4 hens that you have and they should be relatively dark inside.

It’s also smart to build the top of the nesting box on a bit of an angle to discourage them from sleeping on top of the box.

Waterier

Having a good chicken waterier inside the coop will help ensure your chickens have a good supply of fresh water on a regular basis. With this again you can use many items you have right around the house to help cut down on the cost and make it more convenient for you.

If you are building a larger sized chicken coop it will be a good idea to include two wateriers if you can to give your chickens a bit more access to fresh water when they need it.

Perches

Finally, the last thing you should think about is adding a good chicken perch to your coop. This will help ensure your chickens are getting a comfortable night’s sleep so they are better able to lay their eggs.

Like the waterier, be sure you’re providing enough perches for the chickens so they don’t have to fight for room. Also make sure your perches are wide enough to comfortably fit the chickens since as they grow they will likely need a bit more room to sleep comfortably.

So, keep these accessories in mind. You always want to make sure you’re building your chicken house with enough room to add these accessories while still allowing for plenty of space to move around. Having an overcrowded chicken coop will severely limit the total eggs you produce so this isn’t something to take lightly.

Don’t Overlook the Door

The door is one part of the coop that is in constant use, since you’ll use it daily when you feed and water your chickens. This is why it’s important to monitor the state of the door on a regular basis. Make sure to repair the door right away if you notice that the latch is beginning to loosen, otherwise your chickens may escape.

If you notice that you repeatedly have issues with the door, you may want to think about replacing it entirely or installing a new and more secure latch. In any case, you should ensure that the latch is properly bolted to the door.

Every farmer has their own preference when it comes to opening the door, so take some time to experiment and see what works best for you.

Check Your Fence Regularly

At least on a monthly basis, you should monitor the structural integrity of the fence. If you know that there are predators that regularly visit the area, they may try to get in and can affect the stability of your fence. If you notice damage, rebuild or repair it as needed.

Depending on the strength and materials of the fence, some fences may weaken and topple with time. This is why it’s important to test different areas of the fence to make sure it is still sound.

Check the Feeders

It’s important to monitor the feeders inside the chicken coop closely on a daily basis. If you notice that the feeders are broken and in disrepair, this could indicate conflict among the chickens in the coop. This is a sign that you may want to install an additional feeder so that the birds won’t have to fight for access.

You should also observe how your chickens respond to the height of the feeder. Some chickens prefer a feeder lower to the ground, while others prefer them higher up. Try to place the feeder in a location that is convenient for all of your chickens.

Sometimes the feeder will only need to be moved an inch or two, but this can make a big difference in the ability of the chickens to access the food.

The important thing to remember is not to neglect your chicken coop. If you opt for a mobile chicken coop, maintenance is even easier, since you can easily position the coop wherever you happen to be. If you have a stationary coop, it works best to create a weekly or monthly maintenance schedule to keep things on track.